23-year-old driver now hoping Mika Hakkinen can help them reach Formula 1

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Formula 1 legend Mika Hakkinen has taken young Alpine prospect Kush Maini under his wing to help him reach the pinnacle of motorsport.

Alpine have a habit of picking out some superb young talent, with Esteban Ocon and Oscar Piastri coming through their ranks.

Speaking to Autocar India, Kush Maini is now attempting to put together a team that can help him reach F1 sooner rather than later.

Currently, Ocon and Pierre Gasly are the drivers entrusted with racing for Alpine in F1.

The French pair were relatively successful last season, both securing a podium for the team, but in terms of performance, they went backwards compared to their rivals.

If they can’t sort out their issues with the car, then both drivers might end up looking for opportunities elsewhere ahead of the major rule change coming to F1 in 2026.

That means test driver Jack Doohan and academy driver Kush Maini might have an opportunity to reach Formula 1, and the Indian driver has asked Mika Hakkinen to help him achieve that goal.

The 23-year-old raced in Formula 2 with Campos last season, achieving one podium and finishing above teammate Ralph Boschung in the championship.

He’ll return to F2 next year as well as join Mahindra Racing in Formula E as a test driver.

Maini asks Hakkinen to help him reach Formula 1

Speaking about his career up to this point, Maini said: “Even in F3, I was quick, but I did dumb stuff.

“That was a very down part of my life, but it showed me how much I need racing and it awoke more motivation and determination in me. And now I think I’m back stronger than ever. So, I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Everything is open. To get better as a racing driver I need to be in top teams and top championships. And what better way to do it than in F1 and Formula E, with two great teams.

“He’s [Mika Hakkinen] basically going to be forming my whole team around me because he knows what it takes to be a world champion, he knows what the driver needs to focus on.

He’s going to try and build that for me and give me the best opportunity to be in F1 one day. And I’m forever thankful.”

Reaching Formula 1 is incredibly difficult, but in Mika Hakkinen, Maini has one of the best advisors you could ask for.

He will need to be challenging for the Formula 2 title next year, but as Felipe Drugovich and Theo Pourchaire have shown, even that doesn’t guarantee a place on the F1 grid.

There’s expected to be plenty of change in driver line-ups heading into 2025 which could benefit Maini.

He needs to be the standout young driver to earn that opportunity though, with Oscar Piastri and Logan Sargeant the only rookies to survive their first seasons in F1 last year.